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Civil War Scenes from Holly Springs Submitted by Tim Harrison November 22, 1862 – The Boston Morning Journal SCENES AT HOLLY SPRINGS. The army correspondent of the Chicago Tribune thus describes some of the scenes which occurred when Gen. Grant's army took possession of Holly Springs: "Squads of cavalry were sent to visit the stables in town, and presently horses and mules, led by the enthusiastic soldiers, were brought to the public square. Here Lieut. Budd of 2d Iowa was installed as Provost Marshall and began to dispense the gospel according to Abraham. His court was quickly besieged by citizens, from whom horses and mules were taken asking redress. Lieut. Budd referred them to Col. Lee, who would coolly ask the applicant for relief, if the horses were valuable and the mules serviceable. If an affirmative answer was given, Col. Lee would, with the utmost nonchalance, say, "Those are just the animals the government needs, You have furnished the rebels with material aid, and now you must aid us. One Stuart once made a raid into Pennsylvania and took a quantity of animals, and now we propose to pay you in your own coin." The consequence is, that we have a large number of valuable horses, and our men have an excellent remount. Col. Lee needed forage for his horses, and called the mayor and several prominent citizens together, and stated to them his wants. He gave them two hours to collect a quantity of corn, sufficiently large to supply three regiments. These gentlemen at first demurred, but the hint that unless it was forthcoming in that time a contribution would be levied upon the secessionists to the amount of $5000, put these gentlemen to their trumps and shortly after the requisite amount of forage was forthcoming. The Kansas boys had somehow obtained a large amount of Confederate scrip from prisoners and others and drove some heavy bargains in exchanging it for commodities, ornamental and useful. Nothing came amiss. They laid siege to a tobacco store and bought out the entire stock in trade at a dollar a plug. One soldier looked grotesque enough coming along the streets with as much as he could carry of gingerbread, which cost him, he said, $2500, or $5 a quarter section.”
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Civil War Scenes from Holly Springs

Submitted by Tim Harrison

November 22, 1862 – The Boston Morning Journal

SCENES AT HOLLY SPRINGS. The army correspondent of the Chicago Tribune thus describes some of the scenes which occurred when Gen. Grant's army took possession of Holly Springs:

"Squads of cavalry were sent to visit the stables in town, and presently horses and mules, led by the enthusiastic soldiers, were brought to the public square. Here Lieut. Budd of 2d Iowa was installed as Provost Marshall and began to dispense the gospel according to Abraham. His court was quickly besieged by citizens, from whom horses and mules were taken asking redress. Lieut. Budd referred them to Col. Lee, who would coolly ask the applicant for relief, if the horses were valuable and the mules serviceable. If an affirmative answer was given, Col. Lee would, with the utmost nonchalance, say, "Those are just the animals the government needs, You have furnished the rebels with material aid, and now you must aid us. One Stuart once made a raid into Pennsylvania and took a quantity of animals, and now we propose to pay you in your own coin." The consequence is, that we have a large number of valuable horses, and our men have an excellent remount.

Col. Lee needed forage for his horses, and called the mayor and several prominent citizens together, and stated to them his wants. He gave them two hours to collect a quantity of corn, sufficiently large to supply three regiments. These gentlemen at first demurred, but the hint that unless it was forthcoming in that time a contribution would be levied upon the secessionists to the amount of $5000, put these gentlemen to their trumps and shortly after the requisite amount of forage was forthcoming.

The Kansas boys had somehow obtained a large amount of Confederate scrip from prisoners and others and drove some heavy bargains in exchanging it for commodities, ornamental and useful. Nothing came amiss. They laid siege to a tobacco store and bought out the entire stock in trade at a dollar a plug. One soldier looked grotesque enough coming along the streets with as much as he could carry of gingerbread, which cost him, he said, $2500, or $5 a quarter section.”

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